I am thinking about putting together an inexpensive racquet, costing about HK$350 with ML strings. It will be based on conventional design,a 3-section shaft, and the material will be all HMG but of the highest quality from Toray Chemicals. It will be an improvement over the original Tour 1000 TEP Version.
Re name, how about 'TEP Budget Class"?

man, budget class sounds way too .... destitute.
:p

Yeah, I agree... that's a bit like naming it 'TEP Low End', heh. I recommend making it sound as 'snazzy' as all the other racquets, so that when people look at the price htey'll think they're getting a fantastic deal.

how about "TEP Classics" or so

TEP Basic Series

Maybe this is where you use TEP Regular or Standard

My intent is to make only a few, not more than 100, racquets with a cheeky hidden message-that a budget class TEP need not be ashamed to be compared with the more expensive ones and in many cases can outperform some of them. It may be budget class but it will get the best treatment and qc fine-tuning from me personally. It is not intended to be an on going thing but more as a check point against what is value for money.

Seems like a bad marketing plan. Really, I see the intent but it doesn't work for me. Something like TEP Value Select would have the desired result without the negativity.

then what r we gonna do with the low end AND off spec ones..

Then how about Performance for Low End

Instead of Poor Man's Racket. I should call it Budget racket instead. I don't think its nice since if anyone who buys this racket will be labelled Poor.
And personally i don't think anyone who can buy racket and play badminton nowadays are poor. Its just that he/she is on a budget.

The racquet will be named 'TEP BUDGET CLASS' instead of "BUDGET', a play with the airlines' use of 'ECONOMY CLASS'. Overtime, the word 'CLASS' will give a touch of respectability to the much looked down word 'BUDGET'.
I actually considered 'UNTOUCHABLE' or 'PARIAH' but these words will backfire on me as they are easily misunderstood.
This racquet is not for any continuing sale and is a one-time statement from me. It will be sold to friends and some top players.
But I am having some difficulty getting 50 of this racquet made because of the high set-up costs for such a small one-time run.

How about TEP Limited Series
or TEP Un-Limited.

The racquet will be named 'TEP BUDGET CLASS' instead of "BUDGET', a play with the airlines' use of 'ECONOMY CLASS'. Overtime, the word 'CLASS' will give a touch of respectability to the much looked down word 'BUDGET'.
I actually considered 'UNTOUCHABLE' or 'PARIAH' but these words will backfire on me as they are easily misunderstood.
This racquet is not for any continuing sale and is a one-time statement from me. It will be sold to friends and some top players.
But I am having some difficulty getting 50 of this racquet made because of the high set-up costs for such a small one-time run.

Well if you are going that far...... why don't you go the whole 9 yards and price it the same way they price budget airline tickets now a days. The first 5 rackets priced at HK$10 will make it an instant hit.

Here's an extra phrase you can put on the shaft : " Now Everyone Can Play (Badminton) " instead of a budget airlines popular slogan "now everyone can fly"

At least this time it'll be a legitemate gimmick.

Cheers.
TBBMBB(N)

Winex 808Ti is a good budget racket. Power is very good for a 4u racket( even better than most 3U ) . But Control is a bit weak.

My Budget Class racquet is looking very good. Instead of one model I am now thinking of two models, one a 670mm long ISO with a longer shaft but slimmer head cross-sections and the other a longer 675mm Oval with a shorter shaft with slightly wider head cross-sections. Both use HMG.
My first prototypes of the two showed the ISO to be better. However, a specs change to the Oval later then placed the Oval to be significantly better than the ISO. I then went back to the drawing board and made some minor changes to the ISO and it now plays as well as the Oval. Field tests feedback seem to favor the Oval 60% to the ISO 40%. I will be making some improvements to both in the next two weeks.
Already I am getting calls from the testers to sell them the prototypes, which I won't.
Instead of naming the racquets Budget Class, I am thinking of two names. One "SUPER ISO POWER TEP1000" for the Iso and the other "CLASSIC OVAL POWER TEP1001" for the Oval. Alternatively, I will use the same two names but dropping the words "TEP1000 and TEP1001", and replace them with "DESIGN BY TEP/SUL".
The cost or price will be also very attractive at HK$300 with Ashaway ML string but no bags.
I may bring a few to the coming World Badminton Championships in KL this August, if there is sufficient interest.

can you post a picture of your racket pls?

those are long names O_O... also since you have 2 different head shapes, maybe u should go tep1000 (oval/traditional) and tep2000 (iso) unless ur going to go tep1000, then tep2k, then 3k and with the oval u go tep 1k1, 2k1, 3k1...so on so forth... O_O

Hong many are you going to make? It will be cool if I can buy a racket without any paint job done on it, just plain polished carbon fibre with just the protective coating.

those are long names O_O... also since you have 2 different head shapes, maybe u should go tep1000 (oval/traditional) and tep2000 (iso) unless ur going to go tep1000, then tep2k, then 3k and with the oval u go tep 1k1, 2k1, 3k1...so on so forth... O_O

No, he said he'll be dropping the "TEP1000" and "TEP1001" from the names when real production comes around.

Hong many are you going to make? It will be cool if I can buy a racket without any paint job done on it, just plain polished carbon fibre with just the protective coating.

Yes, this is easier for me, but you will have to believe me that they are the real ones, because they are nameless and black-yes carbon black in colour. The racquets will be a class lighter because of the absence of paint.

No, he said he'll be dropping the "TEP1000" and "TEP1001" from the names when real production comes around.

oops misread, :o thought he was dropping the front part of the names and keeping the tep part...:D my bads...